Are You a Seat Stealer?

My little granddaughter has decided that its great fun to sneak onto my chair the second I leave the room. She watches me expectantly when I return, anticipating being tickled and scooped into my lap.

Then there’s my daughter’s cat who also keeps an eye on my chair, and when my granddaughter is not around to do so, takes over my spot, even if he had a perfectly good spot on the sofa.

Trouble is when I return and tell him to get off, he goes all limp like a protestor trying to thwart riot police. I scoop him up and dump him on the floor. No cuddle to encourage such behavior from me. No sir.

All this seat stealing got me to thinking about thrones…or maybe it was the Sunday School lesson about Esther approaching the king’s throne uninvited not knowing if he’d reach out his scepter or demand her death.

Anyway, I realized that the hero of Fatal Inheritance (the book I was reading page proofs for this past week) is a bit of a seat stealer, too. In most areas of his life, God’s on the throne, but when it comes to finding a wife…the hero’s not so sure. Oh, he wants his choice to be God’s choice, but he has a pretty rigid mental checklist of what that choice should look like.

Admittedly, I’m a bit of a seat stealer myself sometimes–when my priorities for how I spend my time don’t match God’s.

But unlike how I am with my granddaughter or with my cat, God doesn’t cajole His seat back or take it back by force.

He waits to be invited. And because He’s my Daddy-King, He then lets me clamor onto his lap for a good long chat, and I wonder why I ever stole His spot in the first place.

Well, is someone is trying to steal your chair, it might as well be a cutie like that!

We had a dwarf rabbit with ‘tude. Velvet Ears Cottontail was her name and she went through a one and only nesting period before she was a year old. She chose our couch as her nesting grounds and proceeded to pull out all this long, luxurious fur from her chest and tummy to line her nest. I’d say her cuteness rivals your granddaughter’s. 🙂 Anyway, the funny thing was that she wouldn’t let anyone sit on the couch that whole time. She would race back and forth in warning if someone’s tush even looked like it was going to drop and…gasp…if it did, she charged and nipped.

So one day I had this couple over from my church. The husband had served in a prison ministry for years. We’re talking big and tough and tatooed. Before I could mention our tiny bunny’s sudden nesting habit he plopped down onto the couch but rose up might fast with an almighty roar, Velvie clinging to his backside. It was mortifying and funny all at the same time. They left in a hurry…and, come to think of it they never came back…nor would they let their daughter have a sleepover with mine. I wonder why?

Oh — but that’s a little off topic. I love your comparison. I tend to be a seat stealer in that respect too. I mean, honestly, wouldn’t it be easier for God to just let me do the driving for awhile? He could just sit back and relax while I’m in the driver’s seat. Of course, history clearly shows that I crash and burn every time I try that.

Oh yes…it’s something I continually need to work on! 🙂 I like to control things and make stuff happen on my own…which is definitely seat-stealing behavior. But I learn the lesson over and over that things always turn out SO much better when I sit back and let God lead!

Wow, great post, Sandra….and a great reminder of how loving our God is. 🙂 And your granddaughter is adorable—I know you enjoy her so much! ~ Now, about how you’re treating that poor cat….Well, all I’m going to say is does the kitty need to move south—like maybe to GEORGIA?! (LOL) 😉

I’m trying to be sweeter to our Bandit, just for you. He’s actually a really nice fellow, even to our very active granddaughter, but boy, oh, boy he doesn’t like to budge once he’s settled into my seat!